Sony confirmed today that their Xperia SP, T, TX, and V will be receiving Android 4.3.3 “from end Jan / early Feb.” This is a relief for owners who thought they might never get the update, after waiting for it since Sony said it was expected in December. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more precise release dates.

We know there’s more than a few of you out there who have been patiently waiting for the Sony Xperia V smartphone and now it appears as if your patience will now pay off. Sony Mobile France has confirmed the elusive device will not arrive at the end of the year, but rather the end of January 2013 instead. While some of you may be disappointed, there is a positive twist— The device will launch with Jelly Bean loaded up instead of the now seemingly outdated Ice Cream Sandwich.

It is worth noting the Xperia V is already out in Japan through several wireless carriers as of the time of this writing, though the expectation is that the version of the Xperia V due next year will be the international version.

Sony has been more than proactive about pushing out timely software updates for many of its premium devices in the past, so the time has come for it to answer the dreaded question: when will its devices get the coveted Jelly Bean update? Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is for owners of most Xperia devices made in 2012, you will in fact get the Jelly Bean update. Sony confirmed the Xperia T, Xperia V and Xperia TX will get the update in Q1 2013, while the Xperia S, Xperia acro S, Xperia Ion, Xperia P, Xperia go and Xperia J will get Jelly Bean at some point next year. So now that the good news is out of the way, here’s the bad news: 2011 Xperia smartphones will not get Jelly Bean because:

The guess here is that those Sony devices probably don’t have the resources to handle the added needs found in Jelly Bean— who knows. At least Sony promised to “support all these products with firmware maintenance releases” because hey— something is better than nothing, right?

Individuals of a certain age may remember a time when a Sony Walkman was the technological, gee-whiz gadget of its time that set the standard for other portable music players. While much has changed over the years, the spirit of the Sony Walkman lives on today in the Sony Walkman Player app. Like other manufacturer specific apps included on Android devices in an effort to differentiate themselves, the Walkman Player is limited to Sony devices like the Sony Xperia S, Xperia T, and Xperia V devices. That situation has changed thanks to XDA forum member Rizal Lovins.

Using a copy of the app he extracted from his own Xperia S, Rizal Lovins has figured out how to get the app to install and run other Ice Cream Sandwich devices that have been rooted. Some quirks are still being worked out, but for the most part users can enjoy the visualizations, equalizers, animations, and other features of the music player app.

For instructions on how to install the Walkman Player on your rooted ICS device, hit the source link below.

Thus far, Sony has been giving vague answers as to when the Sony Xperia V would launch. While Q4 was the general answer given, it looks like something more specific has surfaced as the Swedish retailer Dustin.se has recently put the phone up for pre-order with a 3rd December 2012 release date. At current exchange rates, you can expect it to cost £404, €508 and $656. If you’ve forgotten what this device offers, here’s a rundown of its specs:

Following up on their announcement at IFA 2012 today, Sony has released a series of videos on YouTube showcasing their three new smartphones. All of the videos show off the capabilities of the phones in sharing photos and streaming music and videos. If you pay attention to the video for the Xperia T, you might spot some interesting accessories for the device. For the Xperia V, Sony displays the ability to wirelessly connect to a TV to stream video and they make a point to highlight the water resistant capabilities of the device.

Sony held their IFA press conference today and they just announced the Xperia T, Xperia V, and Xperia J. All three feature the same award-winning design that was first introduced with the Xperia arc and Xperia arc S. All three phones will feature Sony’s media applications. The WALKMAN application will allow consumers to listen to music stored on their PCs, “liked” by Facebook friends, and through Music Unlimited. Sony will also offer a 60 day free trial to Music Unlimited. The movies application will allow consumers to download and rent a variety of movies. For both applications, consumers can remotely view photos and videos that are stored on their home server.

Sony also unveiled its “One-touch” function, which takes NFC beyond traditional uses. With “One-touch” consumers can easily enjoy music and photos across an array of NFC enabled Sony devices. All you have to do is touch one device to another to establish a wireless connection. They showed a new speaker (SRS-BTV5) that works with the Xperia T and Xperia V utilizing “One-touch.”